Better Late than Never
by TheQueenMermaid
Summary: A throwback to season 6. Callie and Arizona figure out how to spend their first Christmas together, even when work interferes. Cuteness and fluff abound. Written for the Secret Santa event on the callie arizona LiveJournal community.


**Disclaimer:** All television shows, books, movies, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.  
><strong>AN:** So, remember like three months ago when I said I was going to write this? Well, here it is, fashionably late. (Ironic that I just wrote a fic called "Better Late than Never.") Many apologies for the delay. School happened, and unfortunately I couldn't justify writing this fic for any of my classes. This was beta'd by the famously amazing roughian on LiveJournal/nefertirioc on here. Seriously, lady, I cannot thank you enough.

* * *

><p>"<em>That was incredibly hot."<em>

Callie and Arizona both giggle as one of them – neither is quite sure who – leans forward and captures the other's lips in a searing kiss. They are both positive, however, that it is Callie who reaches down and grabs Arizona's ass in a hard squeeze. Arizona's hips jerk forward at the touch. She can't help the wide grin that spreads across her face, and as she chances a glance up, she sees a similar one adorning Callie's. If she were thinking more clearly, she might be slightly concerned at how seamlessly she's able to make the switch between cooking-and-being-domestic mode and must-have-sex-with-my-wife-_now_ mode, but Callie somehow always has the ability to transform Arizona's thoughts into a haze of lust, and Arizona's never had an ounce of desire to question it.

As Arizona's hands begin to wander Callie's body more freely while Callie's lips move to Arizona's neck, the pair is interrupted by knocking at the door.

Callie resists the urge to scream. "Are you freaking kidding me?" she hisses, stomping toward the door. She flings it open to find Mark on the other side, as she suspected. "Mark, seriously? Are you completely disregarding what I just said, or did you forget somehow?" For once, Arizona is happy to stand off to the side and smirk. She's finding the look of fear on Mark's face more amusing than she should, and she can't help but feel herself getting even more turned on at her wife's second display of assertiveness of the night. "You know what, this is just like you. I mean, I –"

"Whoa, relax," Mark finally cuts in, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "It's just that if I'm going to babysit tonight, I need the baby."

Arizona barely conceals a laugh behind her hand as color creeps into Callie's cheeks. "Oh, right," Callie says, clearing her throat. "Yeah, I guess that would be, uh… I'll, uh, I'll go get her." This leaves Mark and Arizona standing in the kitchen together. Mark shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot.

Arizona just laughs. "This is turning out to be a _super_ fun evening."

* * *

><p>After managing to pack Sofia off for her stay at Mark's without waking her up, Callie and Arizona take turns kissing their baby goodbye. Both sigh happily as they inhale her sweet baby scent, but as soon as Mark is out the door with her, Callie locks it and then turns swiftly to Arizona. Arizona's eyes widen in excitement as Callie advances on her like a lion stalking its prey.<p>

"Where were we?" Callie asks in a low, sultry tone.

"I was saying you're hot," Arizona replies, grabbing Callie's hand. "And your hand was…here." She replaces the hand on her ass.

"Mm," Callie hums in approval. "I remember now." As if nothing had interrupted them, she reaffixes her lips to Arizona's neck, kissing and sucking down to her collarbone as she kneads Arizona's ass with a strong hand.

Arizona groans in approval, tipping her head back and threading her hands into Callie's hair. "That's…that's good," she drawls. "You're good. Do that."

Callie chuckles at Arizona's bluntness and decreasing ability to form sentences, but the sound of Arizona's moans makes Callie's skin prickle on her body until she feels like she might burst into flame unless Arizona touches her. She moves her mouth lower still to kiss and nip at the skin right at the neckline of Arizona's low-cut shirt, which causes Arizona to heave a loud, happy sigh as she slides one hand out of Callie's hair and down her back until it rests on her tailbone, fingers creeping under the waistband of her pants. Callie feels a warm shiver run down her spine at the touch. "For the record," she says, "you're not the only one who's turned on right now."

"Oh, really?" Arizona teases. "Is there someone else here?" Callie shifts her hips, trying to draw Arizona's hand to the side and down, and in the process finds herself straddling Arizona's leg. "Or are you telling me…" Arizona moves the hand that had been in Callie's hair and cups a firm breast in her hand, making sure to give it a good squeeze. "That you're the one…" She takes her other hand and works at the button of Callie's jeans. "Who's turned on?" Finally, Arizona slips her hand down the front of Callie's pants, sliding underneath her underwear to cup her intimately.

"Arizona," Callie pleads breathlessly.

"Patience is a virtue, Calliope," Arizona says, extending one finger to push past Callie's lips. "Wow," she remarks, momentarily dropping all pretense as she feels how wet Callie is already. "I guess you really are turned on, huh?" She draws her finger up through Callie's slit and then removes it, flicking her clit as she does so. Callie gasps, knees buckling slightly. "Should we continue this in bed?" Arizona suggests, leaning in to kiss Callie and pull at her bottom lip with her teeth.

Callie shakes her head furiously. "No," she manages. "No time. Here. Now." She reaches down to pull her own pants down and off.

Arizona's eyes widen, watching as Callie is suddenly naked from the waist down. "We-we're really going to have sex in the kitchen?" she asks, suddenly skeptical. Aren't there rules about this sort of thing?

"If _we're_ not, _I_ am," Callie replies, one hand streaking down her body to touch herself. She breathes in relief as she begins to rub her clit. "Oh, god," she sighs, tipping her head backwards.

On the other hand, some rules are meant to be broken.

"Hey!" Arizona lunges forward and grabs the offending hand. "That's _my_ job. You don't get to do my job."

Callie allows a slow grin to spread across her face. "Well, then by all means, do your job," she says. "But oh, god." Her hips twitch in arousal. "_Hurry_."

After this display of unfiltered lust, Arizona has no more doubt that sex in the kitchen is by all means an excellent idea. She wastes no time in sliding a hand between Callie's legs to cup her, using her leverage to back her wife up against the refrigerator. To her credit, Callie's stopped squirming once she's in position, and instead she stares at Arizona wide-eyed, chest heaving. Arizona's eyes seem to have turned at least two shades darker, Callie realizes as Arizona fixes her with a lustful glower. That look only serves to make Callie even more aroused, a fact that Arizona seems to grab hold of, so to speak, as she slides her free hand up Callie's shirt to squeeze her breast.

As Arizona pulls at Callie's nipple with the fingers of her left hand, she simultaneously slides two fingers inside of her with her right hand and rams her thumb against Callie's clit backing the motion with a strong thrust of her thigh.

Callie emits a loud, almost animalistic moan. She doesn't want to think about how long it's been since she and Arizona were together like this, but god, it has been such a long time. There had been a brief window of time after the accident and the wedding when it had seemed like their sex life had gotten back on track, but then, between busy schedules, a baby who liked to scream at odd hours of the night, and Mark invading their lives with a culinary vengeance, sex had unfortunately fallen by the wayside.

As Callie feels Arizona pound her fingers roughly inside her while twisting her nipple with her free hand – and, oh god, as Arizona bites at Callie's other breast through her shirt – she vows that she'll do everything in her power to make sure their sex life stays permanently on track.

"God, Callie, you feel so good," Arizona groans as her thigh and wrist thrust in tandem. "You're wet and it feels amazing."

Callie moans again. "I do feel good," she agrees. "You're making me feel – ohh, god!" She cuts herself off as Arizona curls her fingers forward and rubs them against Callie's walls. Callie can't control it anymore as her hips start bucking wildly. Arizona's teeth are pulling at one nipple through the fabric of Callie's bra and shirt, while her fingers still pinch at the other one. Arizona is simultaneously curls and rubs with the fingers of her other hand and flicks Callie's clit hard with her thumb as her hips and thigh fuel the motion. Callie brings her face as close to Arizona's as she can, planting sloppy, breathless kisses on her lips and chin. "Arizona," she finally calls out breathlessly. "Oh, god, I'm gonna come. I'm gonna come all over you right here in our kitchen. I –" Callie screams as Arizona thrusts at a sensitive spot inside her, and comes undone.

Spurred on by Callie's words and the subsequent noises she makes and the way her body gyrates, Arizona moans around Callie's breast, biting as she feels more arousal spill out and soak her fingers.

Momentarily blindsided by the force of her orgasm, Callie can't do anything but close her eyes and gasp, hips bucking and legs shaking beyond her control. Finally, as the tremors inside her begin to slow, she manages a long, satisfied moan. Arizona laughs huskily from her throat, mouth still pressed against Callie's breast. When Callie stops clenching around Arizona's fingers, Arizona gently removes them from inside her, simultaneously helping her to the floor, aware that she's what's been keeping Callie from collapsing in a boneless heap for the past several minutes. Arizona doesn't remove her hand from Callie's other breast, keeping it in a steady grip the whole time.

From her new position on the floor – well, kind of on the floor, but mostly on Arizona – Callie is about to suggest that _now_ they could retire to the bedroom when suddenly Arizona, in one swift motion, pulls herself out from underneath Callie and climbs on top of her, straddling her pelvis. Callie opens her mouth to speak, not that she knows what she's going to say, but before she can get any words out, Arizona captures her lips in a passionate kiss, and then Arizona's tongue is in her mouth. Callie strokes it with her own before biting it gently, which makes Arizona moan in surprise. Arizona retaliates by removing her tongue entirely and nipping at Callie's bottom lip. And while Callie knows that Arizona just gave her an orgasm for the books, she can't help but feel herself getting turned on again.

"Calliope," Arizona says unsteadily as she finally breaks away from the kiss to breathe. "I need you. _Now_."

Callie gulps. "Oh, god," she whimpers. She loves when Arizona's submissive side comes out to play – mostly because it doesn't very often. But watching and listening to her wife's desperation and pleas for release…yeah, it's _really_ hot. The last time Arizona got like this, she had ridden her own fingers while literally begging for Callie's mouth until Callie, transfixed and aroused beyond belief at the sight, had finally relented and given Arizona what she wanted. Callie doesn't know how exactly it's going to play out tonight, but she's beyond excited to find out.

"Show me," Callie finally says. "Show me how badly you need it." Arizona wastes no time in removing her shirt and bra – which Callie hasn't even done herself yet – and setting to work on her pants.

Callie finds it hard to believe that not twenty minutes ago, Arizona had reservations about having sex in the kitchen.

Still straddling Callie's hips, Arizona stands, pulling her jeans down past her ankles until they're off. Callie props herself up on her elbows and gasps at the very noticeable wet spot at the crotch of Arizona's underwear and, sitting up partway, manages to grab said underwear by the front and use it to pull Arizona back down on top of her. Arizona lifts her hips and allows Callie to pull the underwear all the way off and toss it somewhere behind them.

Arizona hitches her breath and settles herself against Callie's hips once again, immediately feeling the welcome pressure against her core. Callie relishes in the warm wetness she feels on her pelvis and the smell of Arizona's arousal as it permeates the air around them.

"Okay," Callie says. "I see your point."

In response, Arizona leans down and kisses Callie again, as hard as she can, while she repositions her legs to straddle Callie's thigh. Almost immediately, Arizona begins to rub herself against it with a steady rhythm, and Callie can feel, without even touching her, how swollen Arizona's clit is.

Reluctantly, but needing to breathe, Callie tears herself away from the kiss. "Arizona," she whispers, loving the feeling of Arizona's arousal pooling on her own thigh. "God, you're soaking wet." With one hand threaded in Arizona's hair, Callie shimmies her other hand down between Arizona's legs to help her out. "Here, let me –"

But Arizona just shakes her head frantically. She's rocking and thrusting and rubbing and riding, working herself to an orgasm against Callie's thigh. Her breath is coming in short bursts. "I'm almost –" she cuts herself off with a loud grunt.

"Jesus, that's hot," Callie exhales. She moves her hand from Arizona's groin to her breast, squeezing it and roughly rubbing her nipple with her palm in rhythm to Arizona's hips.

"Oh god," Arizona groans, the tempo of her thrusts increasing to a hard, hurried frenzy. "Oh god. Callie, I'm gonna— gonna—"

And as Callie replaces the hand on Arizona's breast with her mouth, Arizona's body goes completely rigid before spiraling into a flurry of shaking and trembling. Her head falls back on her shoulders, mouth open in a silent scream, and Callie feels more arousal coat her thigh. She's not sure she's ever seen or felt anything so hot before.

When Arizona's body stops shaking, Callie removes her mouth from her breast and lets Arizona collapse on top of her, moving the hand that had been in Arizona's hair down between her shoulder blades to trace soft, random patterns to help Arizona come down. Arizona sighs happily.

"Wow," is all Callie has to say on the matter.

Arizona laughs. "You were right," she says. "I have missed that."

"Mm," Callie hums in agreement. "Unless you do that all day, every day, I will _always_ be missing that."

Arizona plants a gentle kiss on Callie's lips. "Shall we move this to the bedroom now?"

"Sure," Callie replies, moving to hoist herself up off the floor. "Should I grab the beer and pizza?"

"Mm, not yet," Arizona says with a mischievous, lustful glint in her eyes. "I'm, uh…not _quite_ done missing this yet."

"Oh, really?" Callie raises one eyebrow in that deliciously sexy way she has, which always makes Arizona want to jump her regardless of place or time. Clearly tonight is no exception; Arizona squirms and growls deep in her throat. "Well, now I'm intrigued."

"Good," Arizona husks. She stands up and chivalrously extends an arm for Callie; Callie takes the proffered hand and lets Arizona pull her to her feet. "And speaking of which, I'm rather _intrigued_ by what's going on under your shirt. I seem to have forgotten which bra you put on this morning." And before Callie can do anything, Arizona's hands are on the hem of her shirt, slowly lifting it up. It's all Callie can do to raise her arms obediently as Arizona slides the material over her head. Fully expecting Callie to be wearing a sensible black bra under her black shirt, Arizona is more than pleasantly surprised to see a deep red, lacy push-up number instead. Almost immediately, her eyes glaze over, and Callie could swear she can see her start to drool. "Oh," Arizona says. "That's…that's _awesome._ That's really, really good."

Callie's eyes twinkle as she laughs. She's _really_ missed this. And not just the sex, though God knows how much she's missed that, too. But these moments with Arizona, just _being _with her like this – that's what she's missed the most. Just the silly little things Arizona says and the way they make Callie laugh every time. The way that, even after everything they've been through, Arizona still looks at Callie like she's the single most enchanting person in the world. The way that, after nearly three years together, Arizona still can't get enough of Callie's boobs.

Of course, Callie finds Arizona the single most enchanting (adult) person in the world, and she can't get enough of Arizona's boobs, either, so she supposes they're pretty much even.

Currently, Arizona's fingers are running all over that red lacy bra, and Callie shivers and feels her nipples pebble. Without warning, Arizona latches on with her mouth, teeth scraping at Callie's nipple through fabric for the second time tonight. Callie hums in approval and tips her head back – just in time for Arizona to pull away.

"Mm," Arizona purrs. "As unbelievably hot as this is," she begins, running her fingers under the bra straps to articulate 'this,' "I'm still intrigued." With that, she turns and starts for the bedroom, leaving Callie standing dumbfounded in the kitchen. "Lose the bra, Calliope," Arizona tosses over her shoulder.

Callie just shakes her head and unhooks her bra as she watches Arizona walk into the bedroom, hips swaying as she goes.

* * *

><p>Arizona kneels at the foot of the bed, one hand on her hip in a sassy display.<p>

"Now who's intriguing?" Callie smirks and crosses the room. She lays a steamy kiss on Arizona's lips. "Have I mentioned you're hot?"

Arizona smiles. "Mm, once or twice."

"You're hot," Callie confirms.

"_How_ hot?"

Instead of answering with words, Callie kisses Arizona again and then sets to work on the spot behind Arizona's ear that Arizona absolutely loves. She drags her teeth up and down over the spot, occasionally laving at it with her tongue. Arizona mewls throatily, and it's almost enough to make Callie come right then and there.

Determined to draw this out as long as possible, Callie licks a trail down to Arizona's collarbone, where she kisses and nips. She soothes over the gentle love bites by blowing cool air over them, and the contrasts between rough and gentle and hot and cool make Arizona moan.

"Move down," she orders, although the demand loses most of its assertiveness when it comes out as a breathy murmur.

"How's this?" Callie affixes her mouth to one of the breasts she so adores. She licks circles around it, peppering kisses around the areola, before finally sucking a straining nipple into her mouth and scraping it with her teeth. With her left hand, she strokes Arizona's other breast and tweaks the nipple; with her right, she scrapes her nails up and down Arizona's ribcage.

"I love you, Calliope," Arizona says, "but you're killing me here." She grabs Callie's right hand and, rather unceremoniously in Callie's opinion, shoves it between her legs.

"Oh, is that what you meant?" Callie says as she slowly starts to rub Arizona's lips. "You should really be more specific." She punctuates her joke/reprimand by giving Arizona's nipple a hard suck. "You know, when you're telling me what to do to you..." Callie switches breasts and pulls Arizona's other nipple between her teeth, flicking the hardened tip with her tongue, and she speeds up the hand between Arizona's legs, rubbing a little harder but still not moving her fingers inside. "…You should probably be as explicit as possible." _Suck._ "Just so there's no confusion." _Suck_. "You know –"

"_Callie!_" Arizona half-yells, half-moans and grinds her hips upwards so that Callie's hand slips and her fingers glide between Arizona's lips. Callie is floored by how wet Arizona is despite having had an impressively powerful orgasm such a short time ago. That new advent of information only serves to make Callie wetter herself, and as she squeezes her legs together, she feels moisture where her crotch meets her thighs.

Arizona looks directly into Callie's eyes. "I want you to put three fingers inside me and fuck me, and I want you to rub my clit with your thumb until I come. _Hard_." Callie gulps. She's sure her eyes have widened, and she feels herself get wetter still. "How's _that_ for explicit?"

"That'll work."

Arizona nods her head resolutely.

Happy to follow Arizona's instructions but wanting to work her up just a little more, Callie slides her three fingers through Arizona's slit, collecting abundant wetness as she teases at Arizona's entrance. She rubs light circles around her opening before gliding up to flick her clit. All the while, Callie licks teasingly at Arizona's breast, going near the nipple but never giving it the attention it so obviously wants.

Arizona, still kneeling, moves her hips up and down over Callie's fingers, hoping to draw them inside her. "Callie," she whines. "I want…I said…"

"I know what you said," Callie murmurs. "But someone once told me patience was a virtue." She glides her fingers back down to Arizona's opening, teasing it shallowly again, but still not going inside. Suddenly she removes her hand entirely. Arizona's eyes pop open and she's about to scream in frustration when Callie draws the fingers into her mouth. She takes her time licking and sucking Arizona's wetness off of each one of them before leaning in to kiss Arizona hard on the mouth, allowing her a taste of her own arousal. Both women moan quietly in contentment, both at the taste and at the sensation of the kiss.

Then, just as suddenly as Callie had removed her hand, she brings it back between Arizona's legs, instantly thrusting three fingers inside her as she'd requested. She pushes in hard, and Arizona gasps and falls backward on the bed, knees still bent. Callie immediately begins a quick, persistent rhythm, brushing at Arizona's g-spot and running her fingertips along her inner channel. Callie feels wetness rushing after her fingers when she pulls them out, never all the way.

Callie suddenly adds her thumb to the equation, first pressing on Arizona's clit and then rubbing hard circles around it. She knows that while she herself likes pressure right on the tip, Arizona prefers the sides and area around it stimulated.

Her head pressed heavily into the bed below her, Arizona's hips rise up each time Callie pumps her fingers inside her and her hands claw at the blankets, not knowing what else to do with themselves. Her chest heaves, which means her breasts bounce delectably, and Callie can't help but be transfixed on them as her fingers work. Callie's mouth is currently licking and sucking at Arizona's stomach, the only part of her that isn't moving too much. Arizona moans and gasps, and the gasps soon turn to high-pitched grunts when Callie focuses her fingers' attention on Arizona's g-spot.

"You're close," Callie encourages. "You're gonna come for me."

No longer thrusting her fingers, Callie strokes and rubs at the spot, while all the while her thumb presses hard around Arizona's hardened, heavily swollen clit. One of Arizona's hands shoots into Callie's hair and grips tightly, but Callie doesn't really register the pain. She's too busy loving the sounds Arizona is making and the feeling of wetness sliding past her fingers.

Callie hits Arizona's spot hard and Arizona comes apart. "Let me hear you," Callie says. "You're coming. I want to hear it."

Arizona lets out a scream, a real, primal scream, as her eyes roll back in her head and every part of her body goes completely stiff. Arizona clenches tightly around Callie's fingers, hips shooting up and forward to hold them in place, and Callie gently continues to brush her wife's g-spot. Callie feels warm wetness drip past her hand, and she knows Arizona is ejaculating, which only makes her squeeze her own thighs together even more tightly and whimper. Sure enough, when she chances a glance down, she sees that Arizona's crotch and inner thighs are soaked and that there's a wet spot below her on the sheet. Callie's hips jerk. She couldn't be happier.

Finally, after a while, Arizona finishes, her body relaxing and collapsing into the mattress with limbs that feel like jelly. She sighs loudly, obviously extremely satisfied. Gently, Callie removes her fingers and moves her head between Arizona's legs to lick her, enjoying the taste as she cleans Arizona up and helps her return slowly to Earth.

Arizona is still catching her breath when she tries to speak. "That was…I mean…you are _so_…"

Callie looks up and smiles. "I know."

And before she has any idea what's happening, Callie feels Arizona's legs wrap around her middle and then she's on her back with Arizona on top of her.

"What the—?" she squeals.

Arizona doesn't say anything, just kisses Callie's jaw and neck. She continues kissing down her sternum, and stops briefly to kiss and suck at the spot directly between Callie's breasts over the end of the now-healed scar, leaving her with a hickey only the two of them will ever see. Arizona pinches Callie's nipples with her fingers and kisses a hasty line down her stomach. She figures that the three mind-blowing orgasms between the two of them tonight are foreplay enough. And when she finally reaches Callie's mound to place a kiss there, she knows she's made the right decision. The woman is practically dripping, and Arizona can't wait to taste her.

Before she does, though, Arizona presses her face to Callie's slit and inhales deeply. She moans in contentment. "You smell so good," she says. "I love your smell."

She drags the tip of her tongue up Callie's slit, barely penetrating, and moans out loud at the sweet yet heady taste. Flattening her tongue, Arizona slips between Callie's lips. She drags her tongue up and down a few times before parting the lips with her thumbs and kissing down Callie's length. She runs circles around Callie's opening with her tongue, similar to the way Callie had teased her earlier with her fingers. She's thinking about delving in when she hears a strangled voice above her.

"E-ee…" Callie is struggling to speak.

Arizona lifts her head, albeit reluctantly. "What was that, love?"

Callie throws her head back on her pillow. "E-eat my clit. Eat it. Bite it!"

Arizona moans and lowers her head, darting inside Callie momentarily with just the very tip of her tongue. "Calliope?" she husks.

Almost completely beyond words at this point, all Callie can manage is a barely-audible "Huh?"

"You are so, so, _so_ hot."

"Hmm…good." Arizona chuckles, if only because she doesn't think Callie actually has any idea what she just said. She presses a kiss to Callie's opening and then decides to oblige her request. She pulls Callie's hard clit gently between her teeth and presses her tongue to the tip in the way she knows Callie likes.

Callie moans, but it's really more of a scream, and Arizona smiles to herself. She hums against Callie's clit, knowing from experience that it feels amazing. After a few more hard sucks, she looks up to see Callie, eyes closed in ecstasy, one arm flung above her head with her hand holding onto the headboard in a vice grip. Her other grabs roughly at her own breast, squeezing and occasionally pinching her nipple. Arizona happily returns to the task at hand.

Without warning, she bites down a little harder on Callie's clit and lightly tugs. Callie bucks her hips into the air and spreads her legs even wider so that she's lying more or less spread-eagle on the bed, with her knees bent and her feet planted on the mattress. With the hand that had been on her breast, Callie reaches down and grabs the back of Arizona's head – not that Arizona would even consider going anywhere. She loves the feeling of Callie's abundant wetness – and it truly is abundant tonight – coating her chin. Arizona soothes the slight burn with a gentle suck and swipe of her tongue and then, as she bites down again, she slides two fingers into Callie. Between the slow, deep rhythm she sets and the continued, rhythmic bites to her clit, Arizona knows she'll be a goner soon.

"Oh…god!" Callie cries out. "God, Arizona!" Callie bucks and grinds her hips against Arizona's fingers and mouth, knowing that an orgasm is hovering just on the horizon. And when Arizona reaches up to grab the breast that Callie's hand had previously abandoned, flicking her nipple in the process, she feels a clenching around her fingers as Callie's orgasm crests and sets her free.

Arizona continues to pump her fingers as Callie comes down, letting up on the assault on her clit. Callie's hips finally relax, as do her respective grips on the headboard and Arizona's hair. Arizona licks up Callie's length one more time before climbing up to lie beside her wife.

"Holy shit," Callie pants. "Arizona, that was…just…"

"I know," Arizona says cheekily, repeating Callie's earlier statement. She's grinning widely, dimples on full display. The two lie in silence for a few minutes, Callie wrapping an arm around Arizona and rubbing random patterns on her ribcage with her thumb. Arizona entangles her legs with Callie's and idly runs her toes up and down Callie's calf.

It's Callie who breaks the silence first, looking over at Arizona with a suddenly serious look on her face. "Do I ever tell you how beautiful you are, Arizona?" She sounds almost choked up.

Arizona's eyes widen and she raises her eyebrows. "I-I don't…"

"I mean," Callie continues, "I know I tell you you're hot all the time. But do I ever tell you just…just how _beautiful_ you are?"

Arizona swallows past the sudden lump in her throat. "I don't know," she concedes. That's all she can think of to say.

"Then I don't tell you often enough," Callie states matter-of-factly. "You're so beautiful, Arizona. God, everything about you is just so…your eyes. They're so clear and blue and when you look at me I know you really _see_ me, you know?" Callie's looking at Arizona like she's a vibrant, flourishing red rose on a pile of withered stems. "There's a whole world in your eyes," she whispers.

Arizona blinks, though whether because she's trying not to cry or because she's suddenly self-conscious, she's not sure.

"And your lips," Callie continues. "They're perfect. I just want to kiss them all the time." She leans down to kiss the lips in question, and it's a stark contrast to all of their other kisses this evening. This kiss is soft and reverent. Callie runs her tongue along Arizona's bottom lip, but she doesn't demand entrance into her mouth. She pulls away to keep talking. "I love the way they shape your super-magic smile. The smile that always makes me feel better. Don't think I've forgotten about that," she says. "And I love the way they look when you say my name."

"Calliope," Arizona says softly. "Like that?"

Callie nods. "Exactly like that." She glances at Arizona's chest. "And your boobs…well, you already know how I feel about those. But…" She flattens her palm and places it between Arizona's breasts. "Your heart. Your big, beautiful heart. You have so much love in here, Arizona. I can feel it. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night," Callie confesses, and Arizona murmurs in sympathy and concern. "Just…you know, because I'm thinking about work, or Sofia, or whatever. And then I put my hand right here, and I can feel your heart beating. And I swear, I can feel all the love inside it."

"Calliope," Arizona whispers, realizing she's lost her battle with her tears as one slides out of the corner of her eye and down her cheek. "What are you…you don't have to –"

"And –" Callie clears her throat, determined to make it through what she wants to say without crying. "Your hands." She grabs Arizona's hands tightly in her own. "These hands. They're…well, _god_, the things they can do." Callie winks and both women chuckle softly. "But they're also strong and soft and…and perfect. The first time you touched my face, I remember thinking no one's hands could possibly be that soft." Both women smile wistfully, remembering their first kiss in the bathroom of Joe's Bar. "But then there was that day when my dad cut me off." Callie has to swallow past her tears, even though that day is a distant memory now, a reminder of a wound that's since healed. "I was crying, and you wiped away my tears. Do you remember that?"

Arizona nods. "Of course I do. I'll never forget that day. I just wanted to wrap you up in my arms and make you stop hurting. That was when I knew I was going to fall in love with you." She smiles.

"Really?" Callie whispers in awe. "It is?"

Arizona nods again. "It is." She brushes a sweet kiss against Callie's lips. "And since I know you're going to ask, the day of Alex and Izzie's wedding, when you told me you liked pizza? That was when I knew for sure."

Callie chuckles and sniffles. "That was when I knew, too." She presses her forehead against Arizona's and clears her throat. "Anyway, your hands. They're soft. And they're…healing. They healed me that day. And every day, you go to work and save lives with these hands. You save _lives_. With _these hands_." She pauses for a moment to collect herself. "You saved our daughter's life with these hands." She lets out a shuddery breath. "And I'm pretty sure you saved mine, too." Callie closes her eyes, finally allowing a rush of tears to spill out.

"Calliope, where is all this coming from?" Arizona asks softly. "Why are you crying?"

"I love you so much, Arizona," Callie says fiercely, the words sounding a little harsher than she intends them because of the tears behind them. "I love you _so_ much. And I don't tell you that enough. And I just…I'm sorry."

Arizona shakes her head. "Calliope, no," she murmurs, hoping the eyes Callie loves so much are doing a good job of conveying how much she loves her wife in this moment. "Don't be sorry. Why are you sorry?"

"Because…because I just don't tell you often enough, or show you." Callie takes a deep breath. "And I'm sorry it took me until now to kick Mark out of here."

Arizona sighs. "Look. Am I happy you said what you said to him tonight? Absolutely. And I think the fact that our clothes are in the kitchen and we're lying here naked and both very much in need of showers speaks to that." She smiles, and Callie laughs softly. "But I love you. I love you unconditionally, and I know Mark is your…person or something, plus he's Sofia's dad, so if that means we spend time with him, if that means he's over here a lot, I can live with that."

"But that's the thing." Callie looks right into Arizona's eyes. "You shouldn't have to live with it. I'm not a package deal with Mark. Yeah, he's my best friend, and yeah, he's Sofia's dad, and yeah, he's surprisingly _good_ at being Sofia's dad, but we're not both married to you. _I'm_ married to you. My package is _you_." Arizona barks out a laugh at that odd analogy. "Okay, that sounded better in my head."

"It sounded fine," Arizona promises, though she's still grinning, and already thinking up "package" jokes to tease Callie with later. "Thank you for saying that. It means a lot to me, it really does. A _lot_." Callie can see the emotion pouring out of Arizona's eyes. _There really is a whole world in there_, she thinks to herself. _And I get to live in it_. "I accept your apology, even though I wasn't mad. From now on, we'll hang out with Mark when all three of us want to hang out. How's that?"

Callie nods. "That's perfect."

"Good," Arizona says, snuggling back up to Callie. She hums contentedly. "I love you so much, Calliope," she whispers. "You're incredible. Thank you for tonight. For _all_ of tonight. For everything." Callie threads her fingers through Arizona's. "Just…mm. I love you."

Arizona's stomach punctuates the gentle, romantic moment by growling audibly.

Callie laughs. "That was hot."

"Yeah, well." Arizona pokes Callie in the ribs. "I worked up an appetite." She smirks. "I do believe someone promised me pizza and beer."

"It's all the way in the kitchen," Callie whines. "Here, there's cocoa butter on my nightstand." She smacks around blindly for it behind her.

"_Please?_" Arizona asks, flashing her dimples and making sure her eyes sparkle.

"Oh, all right." Callie rolls her eyes and drags herself out of bed. "But this had better be worth my while. I said we were gonna have lots and lots of sex, and so far we've only had lots."

"Oh, don't worry," Arizona reassures, watching Callie's gloriously naked form walk through the apartment. "I can _definitely_ live with that."

* * *

><p>In one hand, Callie balances the pizza box and six-pack of beer; in her other hand she carries the clothes that she and Arizona shed earlier in the evening. She dumps the clothes in a heap on the bedroom floor, places the pizza box at the foot of the bed, and hands Arizona a beer, taking one for herself and putting the rest of the six-pack on the floor beside her nightstand.<p>

"So," Arizona says, grabbing a piece of pizza and settling comfortably against her pillow. Callie climbs in beside her and pulls the top sheet over them both. "Tell me about this neck you built."

Callie's eyes light up. "Oh, man, it was so cool!" she exclaims. She launches into a story about a teenager and his arguing parents and something about Cristina being an idiot.

Arizona listens intently, laughing at the funny parts, murmuring at the more serious parts, and grinning proudly at the Callie-being-a-rock-star parts.

Yes, she is _definitely_ intrigued.


End file.
